Tattoos on the HeartRyne Emanuel

Reflection- One of the stories that I liked in the book took place in the first chapter, God, I guess. The theme of this chapter is about people turning to God for help and realizing he loves you. The story that I liked was the story of the 15 year old named Rigo who is receiving his first communion in jail from Father G. In this story Rigo relates the love his mother has for him to the love that God has for all humans. He explains that his mother visits him every Sunday and she has to take 7 different buses to see him! The young teen somehow makes an amazing connection between his mother and God and how they both do so much for who they love and how they are both willing to sacfirifice so much. From this story I was able to better understand the love that I should have with God and also the amount of love he has for me.

Father Greg Boyle

Reflection- Another story that I enjoyed was the story of Carmen in the second chapter, Dis-grace. The theme of this chapter is that nobody is a disgrace no matter what they have done. In God's eye nobody is a disgrace just some people are lost and have strayed from the right path. In the story, Carmen, a heroine addict, a gang member and just overall a person people would see as a bad person. But, she comes to Father G saying that she wants to change her ways and become a respectable person, not a disgrace and Father G takes her in and helps her. This story helps me realize that for every wrong I have committed I can always seek out God for forgiveness and also ask him to help me change.

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Reflection- Another story that I liked in this book is the story the homie, Junior, in the 6th chapter, Jurisdiction. This chapters theme or message is that all violence will stop when people get rid of their jurisdictions, or barriers we construct for some people, and allow everywhere to be places of god that are welcome to all. In the story of Junior it explains how he loves Father G because he is in his jurisdiction. It was funny the way he told Father G too. He just yelled at the top of his lungs the he loved him and he didn't even care who heard it. I thought that helped show the loving nature of some of the people we consider to be hardcore gangbangers. I liked this story because it was kind of a funny and surprising story.